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Overfishing and hunting pushing iconic species to extinction
Increasingly intense and unregulated coastal fishing is pushing rhino rays to the brink of extinction.

IUCN updates Red List of Threatened Species

Iconic species are being driven to extinction thanks to unsustainable fishing and hunting, according to the latest update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.


For the first time, the IUCN Red List has broken the 100,000 species barrier and includes assessments for over 105,732 species, of which 28,338 are threatened with extinction.

The update shows that rhino rays are now the most imperilled fish families on the planet, with all of the 16 species assessed as Critically Endangered. It also reveals that hunting combined with habitat loss has pushed seven species of primate closer to extinction.

“With more than 100,000 species now assessed for the IUCN Red List, this update clearly shows how much humans around the world are overexploiting wildlife,” said IUCN acting director-general, Dr Grethel Aguilar. 


“We must wake up to the fact that conserving nature’s diversity is in our interest, and is absolutely fundamental to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. States, businesses and civil society must urgently act to halt the overexploitation of nature, and must respect and support local communities and Indigenous Peoples in strengthening sustainable livelihoods.” 


Jane Smart, global director of the IUCN Biodiversity Conservation Group, added: “Both national and international trade are driving the decline of species in the oceans, in freshwater and on land. Decisive action is needed at scale to halt this decline; the timing of this assessment is critical as governments are starting to negotiate a new global biodiversity framework for such action.”

Closely related to sharks, rhino rays live in the waters of the Indian and West Pacific Oceans as well as the East Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Experts say that increasingly intense and unregulated coastal fishing is driving their decline, with most caught with other fish as “bycatch”. 


Rhino ray meat is locally sold, while the fins are highly valued and traded internationally for shark fin soup.

In West and Central Africa, 40 per cent of primate species are threatened with extinction. The rollaway monkey, for example, has shifted from Endangered to Critically Endangered owing to the value of its meat and skin.  


It is believed that Western primates are also suffering severe habitat loss as land is converted to food crops. Road access is facilitating hunting and the transportation of bushmeat to local markets and distant urban centres. 

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.